Faith At Home

That was the title of today's sermon at church. Based on Joshua 24:15 "... as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." It was exactly what I needed today, because it was a confirmation of things I'm currently dealing with in my life.

I'm really wanting to have a more Christ centered, united family. This is difficult considering I'm married to a man who could care less about spirituality. He respects mine, and I appreciate that, and he respects the fact that I want to raise our kids to have their own, but he doesn't have any interest in his own. In my dreams, I can see our family joined together as a team, a partnership, praying together, lifting each other up, being what family is truly meant to be. However, I don't know how to get there. I deal with a lot of my own struggles and somedays I feel like a full on failure. Today's sermon helped me with some of these issues. I thought I would share my notes.

First, we need to be focused. Focused on God. Focused on our spiritual goals. Focused on our family goals. What do we want for our children? What do we want for our marraige. What do we want for our future? Would we want our children to act like us? The way we treat God and our faith, our spouse, our children, and others? Do we want them to say the things we say? Partake of the things we do? Participate in the activities we participate in?

Next we need to be equipped. Equipped with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. "Study to show thyself approved, a workman need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 We need to equip ourselves with God's words. With a support group of others who have not only been there done that, but might also be going through what we're going through to remind us, we aren't alone! And this too shall pass.

We can't sit around expecting someone else to do it for us. Yes attending church is great for our spirits and our children's spirits, if the church is alive and well. It can be a place to go for uplifting, for prayer, for support, for fellowship. However, we can't take our kids to church and then do nothing to grow their spirits, or our own, at home. It's OUR job to raise our children up. It's not the school's job, the teacher's job, the church's job, the minisiter's job. They can be great assistants and great support, but these children were given to US not someone else.

Do all you can with all you have. The more something or someone is available in a persons life the more of an influence it has. We need to be in our children's lives and our spouse's life. We need to be living spiritually and not be hypocrits. We need to take active, unconditionally loving roles in our family. It's hard work, it takes changing in ourselves with the Lord. The thing is, it is absolutely doable if we are willing to fully give ourselves to the Lord.

We need to be praying, studying the word of the Lord, being active in serving others (especially our family), and living a faith inspired life on a daily basis. Taking each day one day at a time, because tomorrow may never come and yesterday is already done. We especially need to be doing these things with our spouse and our children. If they reject it, then we just keep respectfully trying and don't give up on your faith.

It's never too late to be the family that God designed. We should never settle for less than what the Lord has said is possible for our families or anything else. Instead we must trust and have faith and know that as we build our spirits up and grow in a relationship with the Lord, the Lord will answer us. If we let our families be a part of our growth, the Lord will move in them too.

So be inspired and motivated, be focused and equipped, and most of all be willing with faith to trust in the Lord and let the Holy Spirit move in you. You can develop a preferred future for yourself and for your family, if you just let the Lord grow in you.